How Do I Present The ESA Letter To My Landlord?

If you have your housing letter and would like to present it to your landlord asking for a reasonable accommodation, we suggest that you do this in email form. If your landlord asks you to do so in person, we recommend that you still follow-up via e-mail as well. Below is a template that some of our clients have found useful in the past. Remember to include a copy of your letter.

Sample:

Dear Landlord or Housing Association:

Please accept this correspondence as my formal request for an accommodation in your property’s rules, regulations, and policies because I am disabled and need to live with my Assistance Animal on the property to enjoy the benefits of fair housing. Please also see the attached letter from my mental health professional which verifies my disability and my disability-related need for my assistance animal. If my request is insufficient, or denied, please share with me any details so I can take next steps to improve my accommodation request.

The attached letter from my medical professional satisfies the US Dept. of HUD’s elemental requirements [per FHEO-2013-01] for a reliable source to verify a bona fide assistance animal and disability. This email also satisfies HUD’s definition of an accommodation request and must be carefully considered; proprietary forms and additional procedures are not required to grant an accommodation. [see Joint Statement of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Dept. of Justice: Reasonable Accommodations under the Fair Housing Act; May 17, 2004]

The assessment that is needed comes after you purchase the housing or travel letter consultation. This assessment is a series of multiple choice and written answers. Once this is submitted, we will connect you with a therapist in your state.